How to change the perception of America’s leadership? It begins with our President. Say you were a film producer looking for someone to play the role, and if it were possible to provide all the potential candidates for President in a lineup standing next to one another the only one that would clearly appear the most “presidential” would be Fred Thompson. If such a lineup were possible to any group that had never seen any of the potential candidates Fred would be the choice of appearing the most presidential. For those of you able to do so try this on your computer and you will quickly see the importance of such “perception,” keeping in mind the whole world is able to do so. And in politics there is much truth to the adage “Perception is everything.”

Fred gives the perception not only of physical size and strength, a large strong man, but looking into his eyes, looking at his face he portrays real strength of character, and you know it goes far deeper than mere perception. Then, once you have taken note of the strength of his physical presence begin looking at his biography, at his experience and numerous achievements and you cannot but conclude here is a man that would be the best choice for President of America. And in my opinion, Fred just received one of the most ringing endorsements possible from James Dobson of “Focus on the Family.” Dobson taking the initiative by making an unsolicited call to U.S. News & World Report senior editor Dan Gilgoff on Tuesday accused Fred of not being a Christian. And for me, that constitutes a ringing endorsement of Fred.

I’ve known James Dobson since his salad days of “circuit riding” before he hit the big time. And I have been a strong supporter of him and his advocacy on behalf of families and children, his various ministries directed to encouraging morality in America. But he should not have interfered with attempts to draft Fred.

Though he was baptized into the Church of Christ, Fred Thompson does not fit Dobson’s definition of a Christian. But Dobson’s choice Newt Gingrich does. Ah, ha! So, out of the lineup I choose Fred and Newt to stand together side by side, and you can guess which impresses me as the most presidential, and even more importantly I would choose Fred as the most trustworthy. One reason being that when it comes to Christian beliefs Newt claims to “know,” but Fred honestly joins those like me that make a distinction between “knowing” and “believing.” And it is a distinction of the gravest importance to America.

No one understands better than I the great debt Western Civilization owes to the Bible and Christianity. Once Christianity became a civilized religion it gave rise to the greatest advances in art and science, the greatest of freedom and liberty for individuals the world has ever known. However, the failure to distinguish between beliefs and knowledge continues to bedevil the whole world when it comes to religion. Islam is a worst case example of this failure, but here in America we have every right to doubt those that would attempt to pass off as knowledge what are only beliefs. And it is on this basis I find Dobson’s accusation a ringing endorsement of Fred Thompson.

The voice of Reason shouts “You cannot know what you cannot know!” And this applies equally to atheist or religious. And while we seem to be born with a disposition to believe, though I want to believe and find believing easier than not believing, it remains you cannot know what you cannot know. I will trust those honest enough to share their doubts rather than any that claim to know what they cannot know. I trust Fred Thompson because among other things he makes no claim of knowing what he cannot know.

So, I am encouraged not only by Dobson’s “endorsement,” but by Tennessee Representative Zach Wamp who has been leading an effort to rally support in Congress for a Thompson bid. GOPUSA: Wamp says “When people are looking for a president, they are looking for ‘strength and trust’ — two things he says Thompson has personified all of his life. ‘I know his record,’ says the Tennessee lawmaker. ‘I am looking for a strong conservative to support — and I think he can win. I think he can compete and win.’ Wamp is not alone in his support for the former senator. ‘You’ve got very strong conservative members of Congress like Gresham Barrett in South Carolina, Lynn Westmoreland in Georgia, Jeff Miller in Florida, John Carter in Texas [who] have already said ‘I’m on board,’ he shares. Regardless of whom you end up supporting in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a Fred Thompson candidacy is good for the Republican Party, and you should encourage him to run.”

The Democrat Party, the Democrat controlled universities, the blatantly left-wing bias of the MSM, all would be gunning for Fred should he choose to run for President. And like Lou Dobbs, perhaps Fred is too smart to run. Both can be forgiven the attitude “Who needs the grief?” But if Fred is persuaded America needs him, as so many of us believe, I hold hope he will be willing to make the sacrifice. And at least in Fred’s case there can be no doubt it would be exactly that: A sacrifice. But whether he does or not, of this much we can be certain: With each passing day the world is becoming increasingly dangerous.

Patrick J. Buchanan: “Interventions without end? ‘Whatever happens in Iraq, retreat from the world is not an option,’ wrote Financial Times columnist Philip Stephens last weekend. Why not? Because a world map highlighting those regions where the West’s vital resources are located would exactly overlap a map highlighting those regions where state power is crumbling, disease and poverty are pandemic and violence rules.”

Pat is correct, but suppose he should use a similar map on America. Let’s use such a map to identify the future of America, our children as the single most vital “natural resource” we have. Let’s map those areas at enmity to the innocence and well-being of children, the areas of ghettos and barrios where “disease and poverty are pandemic and violence rules,” the cities where gangs and violence hold sway, where ignorance and poverty are an entrenched pandemic, and it would quickly be seen we need a leadership that will put America ahead of corporate greed including the kind of greed that refuses to secure our borders for the sake of slave labor even at the risk of nuclear and biological terrorism.

In sum, let those that would put intervention for the sake of America and Americans first declare so openly and prove it before asking for our vote. And if you want Fred to run go to: Grassrootsvoter.com and GOPUSA.com and sign the petitions.